With all of the wonderful produce Arizona markets have to offer, it’s easy to go overboard with your Double Up Food Bucks purchases. If you find yourself unable to consume all your produce and don’t want to be wasteful, consider composting. It’s an easy way to cut down on your excess waste and keep it out of the landfill!

Living in apartments and smaller homes can be tough on the eco-minded person, as options to recycle and compost are often limited. Composting can seem like an impossible project in an apartment, but it is completely possible and will help you be more environmentally friendly. From local services to DIY projects, there are tons of options to turn your food waste into a usable product.

If you consider yourself crafty, there are many DIY composting bins that can be fun and easy to make. A small amount of soil, newspaper, and a plastic bin with a cover will provide a great receptacle for your compostable waste.

Check out this graphic for an example of a DIY compost receptacle:

A laundry room, the kitchen, or a small patio are all good spaces for the bin. If you’re worried about odor, compost should never smell if done correctly. Keep stirring the compost weekly, and frequently add some dry materials such as leaves or paper. The waste can be retrieved by a company for a small fee, or you can look for a free compost drop-off location near you. Look up “compost pick up and drop off in Arizona” for your nearest location.

If you can’t make your own bin, companies in Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff such as Recycled City will provide you with an odor-free bin. These services also offer regular pick up for a small fee, and even donate the compost to local farms for you. If you want to keep your compost for yourself, they can return a bag of soil to you after they retrieve your compostable waste. For more information try searching “compost collection services near me.”

If a compost bin in your home is something that still seems impossible, there are local community compost areas that will take your food waste for you and do all of the heavy lifting. You can drop off a bag or bin of your food waste and they will add it to their own compost pile. Search for “community compost piles near me” to find options in your area.

Redirecting waste from the landfill helps the environment, and also creates a more sustainable Arizona. Local farms, residents, and businesses will benefit from your efforts to compost. Some of the vendors at your local farmers market might use your compost one day, and it could even be used to grow the food you purchase with your Double Up Food Bucks. Let’s keep on growing, AZ!